[Alex Mac]

Hi Guys.

Sorry if this has come up before, I was wondering what qualities and types of wood people use for re-enactment weapons? Not only for the haft of pole arms but also in the grips of swords.

Alex.

[Nathan Beal]

My polearm shafts (be they axes, spears or bills) are ash, preferably coppiced but sawn lumber shaped with a plane is ok (kil dried is not ideal). Finished with a couple of layers of boiled linseed oil.

For sword grips, i'm less fussy but ideally a good solid bit of oak.

HTH
N.

[Geoff Wood]

Each to his own, but though i have an oak grip on a bronze sword, I'm not sure I'd use oak for steel weapons,given the acidity of the wood. The oak I have access to eats steel nails or screws.

[Russ Ellis]

I'm curious as to why kiln dried lumber would not be ideal?

[Michael Douglas]

Kiln dried can be superb, it's the quality of the wood that matters rather than the seasoning in my experience.
I must have shafted scores of spears and axes using ash over the last fifteen years from both coppiced and sawn/split timber.
Most of the coppiced shafts are too weak for sturdy stuff like boarspears or pollaxes, but great for small-diameter spears which can spring to the side under impact.

Box is superb for sword grips. Oak is sometimes a bit splitty, sometimes not.
Beech is great. Hornbeam. Tight burr-elm. Yew is beautiful but a bad bit will split.

[Russ Ellis]

[Nathan Beal]

I'm generally of the impression that kiln dried is a little more prone to shattering than a more gently dried piece of the same quality (from people who really know thier woods).

Certainly from my current range of suppliers if i get something that has had chance to season for a while it is probably significantly better wood in the first place, the kiln dried is not always as nice.

Nowt wrong with it but i prefer something air dried if i can get hold of it (and don't mind paying a bit of a premium). But if i had a toss up between kiln dried ash and anything else it would be the ash every time.

[Russ Ellis]

Great! Thanks for the clarification!

[Matthew D]

Don't forget hickory it is very strong and looks great
Kiln dried wood is just as good as air dried IF it is allowed to come the moisture level of the local area before you seal it. We have had this discussion several times on one of the boards I frequent dealing with bows. IF a wood can stand up to becoming a bow, it would do well as other things like the hilt of a sword.

[Peter Bosman]

[John H.]

I'm [fairly] new here, so forgive me if this is a stupid (or already extensively-covered) question, but what about cedar?

Native Americans made use of this wood for a multitude of different items, but would there be any drawbacks to using it in shafts & handles & what-not?

Thanks,
John

[Russ Ellis]